Familiar faces
by AnotherChance
Summary: Luminara is kidnapped by Jedi haters. Now that she has escaped she must go back with Obi Wan and their Padawans and confront someone from Obi Wan's past. Some one they thought was dead. NOT QUI GON, LOL Ch. 10 is up and the story is complete. YAY!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Don't own it, only write about it. This goes for any other stories I write that I forget to 'disclaim'.  
  
Luminara Unduli sat at the table and sighed. This happened any time that she went on a mission. Some drunken or just naturally obnoxious man would see her, strut over and introduce himself. He'd tried to gain her infatuation by sweet-talking. Sometimes they'd just use crude comments. It always happened. And she always got rid of them by showing them her lightsaber.  
  
But that was impossible this time. She was undercover, and that just simply wasn't an option. She mentally debated ways to get rid of him, and decided on a verbal sting over completely ignoring the arrogant man. "I'm too good for the likes of you. Why don't you leave me alone and go harass someone else?" It was a distinctly un-Jedi-like response, and that's why she chose it.  
  
"What are you going to do about it, sweet cheeks?" The man, who was overweight and smelled of rum, stroked her cheek seductively.  
  
'This is enough. I'm putting a stop to this.' She grabbed his arm and twisted it around and behind his back painfully. "I said, leave me alone." The man scurried off like a scared womp-rat and she sat down to finish her meal. She ignored the looks from the other customers in the cantina, but as she got up to leave she felt something small, round and hard press to her back.  
  
"Not so fast, Jedi. You just cost yourself your life with that little stunt you pulled. That fella has friends. Powerful ones. I'm one of them. Hands up in the air." A gruff voice said. When she failed to comply he pushed the muzzle of the pistol harder into her back and Luminara let out a hiss of pain.  
  
She raised her arms slowly and said, "You're not so powerful. Power implies ability, and you lack the ability to use your brain correctly. Let me explain your first mistake." She stopped talking long enough to capture the gun in a blur of movements. "You shouldn't let someone know where the gun is. This gives them an opportunity to capture the weapon as demonstrated." She pointed the gun at her assailant. "Oh, but wait. That wasn't your first mistake. Your first mistake was poking around in my business." She checked that the blaster was set on stun and fired it into his torso. He fell to the ground like a sack of oafish fruit.  
  
Luminara didn't, however, notice the five blasters pointed at her until it was too late. The assortment of aliens fired into her with five separate stun bolts and she went down. Hard. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Luminara awoke with a groan. 'Well that ruins my chances at having some time to think. Whoever is in this room had to have heard that.'  
  
"Get up Jedi, you're not fooling anyone." A gruff voice said from somewhere in front of her.  
  
Luminara let out a sighed moan. She had at least tried. "Why do you think I am a Jedi? That would imply my being able to do stuff that I can't." It was a feeble attempt, but an attempt at that. Maybe seeding confusion and dissent would help her get out of this situation. Or maybe it would make it worse. Either way, it was a chance she had to take.  
  
"Don't try to fool me. Your fighting style is distinctly that which is taught at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. And one more thing, if you don't want people like me to find out about who you were, you shouldn't make it so easy for me." His voice sounded smug, although she couldn't see him thanks to the blind fold over her eyes.  
  
She new she was being baited, that his previous statement was meant to leave room for questions, but she took the bait anyway. "How do you know what Temple martial arts look like? What do you mean I shouldn't make it so easy for you?"  
  
"I know what Temple style looks like because I have had cause to fight your kind more than once before, and you make it easy for me because of a gift of my own." Her blindfold was being removed despite the lack of a presence anywhere near her. What she saw made her gasp.  
  
"Xanatos? But- How? –Why?" She spluttered, trying to recover from the shock of seeing her deceased friend's former apprentice.  
  
His face was scared, almost beyond recognition. His circular scar was no longer visible, having been buried by the immense amount of comparatively fresh scars. "How, you ask? It's simple, really. I used the Dark Side to shield my body of the tarpit's effect. The Dark Side really is quite powerful when you think about it. As for the why, well, you'll just have to wait and see. I'm really not much for physical torture, but consider this a warning, a warning not to try to escape." He summoned the Dark Side, and sent agony coarsing through her body in the form of lightning.  
  
Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from showing signs of her pain, and as he left the room she let out a strangled cry. She slump into unconsciousness as the electricity overrode her nervous system. 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"A grave disturbance in the Force there is. Hurt Master Unduli has been." Yoda spoke from his meditation chair, his alien eyebrows furrowed in a human expression of concern.  
  
"I have felt it, master." Mace Windu replied.  
  
"Felt a familiar presence, I have." Yoda's expression deepened. "Help her, we must. Organise a rescue attempt, we shall."  
  
"But who should we send? Her apprentice will no doubt want to help save her master." Mace Windu looked even more concerned for his former apprentice than Yoda, if that were possible.  
  
"Send her we shall. Accompany her, Kenobi and Skywalker will. Save her from her fate, they must. Imperative it is. Felt it I have."  
  
* * *  
  
"Why has the Council summoned us?" Anakin Skywalker asked his Master, Obi- Wan Kenobi. "Is it for a mission, or is it about that incident in the cafeteria last week. You that food fight wasn't my fau-"  
  
"Yes I do know it wasn't your fault, Anakin. I'm sure the Council does too. And yes it is because of a mission." Obi Wan couldn't quite conceal the smile that came to his face when his Padawan had mentioned the incident in the cafeteria. It *was* mostly his fault, but it was partially the young apprentice that was sitting across the waiting room's fault too.  
  
He regarded the adolescent carefully. Her face was drawn and pale, and she looked like she hadn't had much sleep for a while. "Are you alright, Bariss? You look as though you haven't had a good night's sleep for quite some time."  
  
"I've been having nightmares, Master Kenobi. In my nightmares Master Luminara is hurt and in pain. And now she's gone missing and-" Bariss was cut short by Anakin's disbelieving question.  
  
"She's gone missing? How? When?" His jaw was open, and he didn't even try to withhold the look of utter shock on his face.  
  
"She was on a mission far the Council, they said that only Luminara was required to go, and that I should stay here at the Temple. I don't understand why I couldn't go." Any reply was cut off as the Council Room door opened, indicating that they should enter.  
  
"We'll find out soon. Don't worry." Obi Wan comforted.  
  
They entered the room and bowed respectfully.  
  
"On a mission, Master Unduli was." Yoda said without preamble. "Investigating rumours of a Dark Jedi, she was. Involved, we did not want an apprentice to be. But out of hand this mission has gotten. A Master- Padawan team must be sent. Require healing, she might. Here for that reason, you are, Apprentice Offee. Save Luminara you must. But also, find this dark Jedi. The key, he is to the descent of the Republic."  
  
"When do we leave, Master?" Obi Wan asked, his face set in a mirror image of Master Yoda's.  
  
"Receive your supplies from Requisitions, you shall. Leave in one hour, your ship does. With your supplies, the details of your mission are. Fail, you must not." Yoda's last statement was a sign to leave. The left the room with the same bow of respect as when they entered, feeling nothing but determination to rescue their colleague and friend. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Luminara extended her senses before she opened her eyes. He was here. As always. Ready for another T&T session, as she liked to call them. Taunt and Torture.  
  
She gasped as an unexpected bolt of dark electricity spread through her system. "Just a mild jolt, *Master* Unduli. Just a wake up call. I wanted to tell you your Padawan's come looking for you. She's on the planet. Should I bring her in? We could make a party of it." His low chuckle filled the room.  
  
When she had recovered enough to speak she said in a pain filled, husky voice, "You expect me to believe that, Xanatos? You're just trying to get at me."  
  
"Choose to believe that if you want. But you have made my decision for me. You'll soon see that I wasn't taunting you, but I believe that your apprentice will be a fine device to continue your torture with, don't you?"  
  
"No Xanatos. You don't have to do this. You can come back to the light. If you repent the Council will go easy on you." Luminara gasped as the electricity burned through her body once more.  
  
"I'm not stupid, Master Unduli. The light side isn't as fun as the Dark. It's very invigorating, really. Being able to do whatever you want. No, I've got a better idea. You join me on the Dark Side." He got up to leave. "I'll leave you to ponder this."  
  
He left the room without incident. Luminara stared at the door in disbelief. He hadn't tortured her to the point of unconsciousness like he normally did. That was a shock. It was almost as if he was letting her recover. As if daring her to try to escape. She wouldn't fall for his trap. At least not yet.  
  
* * *  
  
Bariss couldn't stop fidgeting in her seat. The young Padawan had been feeling her Master's pain for quite some time now, so much so that she had had to withdraw from their bond a little bit. She regretted having to, but at one point the pain had gotten so bad she had fainted from it. But now that they arrived on planet, she had begun not feeling *any* pain from her Master. She'd even opened up their bond to the fullest and still felt nothing. *That* made her nervous.  
  
They had arrived on planet two days ago, and now that they had no leads they had decided to go to the rather small law enforcement agency on the planet. Obi Wan had entered the cluttered office of the senior Sergeant, but because of the mess, Anakin and Bariss had decided to stay in the hallway.  
  
"We'll find Master Unduli, Bariss. I promise you." Anakin looked genuinely worried for the likeable Jedi Master.  
  
"I know that, Anakin. I believe you. What really worries me is that I can't feel anything from her. Not her emotions, her pain, or even her mind. I *know* I would've sensed her if she had-" She broke off at the concept.  
  
"You would've, Bariss, you would've. We'll find your Master. Alive and well, I'm sure of it."  
  
"It's not that, Anakin. I know she's alive. It's just. It's just that it feels as though our training bond has been broken. On her end. I don't know. I've tried meditating, but that hasn't worked and-"  
  
"Excuse me, but I heard that there were some Jedi here who wanted to know about another Jedi being here?" A slender, old man interrupted Bariss' foreboding speech. "Are you those Jedi?"  
  
"Yes, we're here trying to find our friend. Can you help us?" Anakin asked diplomatically.  
  
"Yes. I'll tell you what I know. I saw him last running down an alleyway, I'll show you which one after I've told you everything if you'd like."  
  
Bariss and Anakin exchanged glances. He? "That would be very helpful."  
  
"He had some makeup on, to make his face look really pale, and he'd also painted a circular scar on his face, except the scar was broken. He had lot's of other little scars on his face, but none of those were as prominent."  
  
Obi Wan Kenobi chose that moment to walk out of the office. "I've got nothing. Who's this?" He asked his charges, gesturing to the aging man.  
  
"He has a lead on the Jedi, except it's not Master Luminara. He said the Jedi that he saw was a man, pale skin with lot's of scars and a very outstanding scar on his face, a broken circle." Bariss took one look at Master Obi Wan and added, "Are you feeling alright, Master? You look like you've seen a ghost."  
  
He shook off the thought and asked, "How did you know he was a Jedi?"  
  
"Why, he was waving a red lightsaber around." The old man looked as puzzled as Bariss and Anakin.  
  
"Come along, apprentices. I'll explain on the way."  
  
TBC.... 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
"The only possible way that he could be alive is a clone. I saw him die, in front of my very eyes. At the time, I was confused as to why he would willingly give up his life, but Master Qui Gon assured me that he'd rather die than let Master Qui Gon capture him. I believed that, up until now." He looked at the two young faces seated before him. "He is a very dangerous man, Padawans. His skill with a lightsaber was unsurpassed during his time at the Temple, and it took both Master Qui Gon and me to even keep him at bay."  
  
"Unsurpassed like mine, Master Kenobi?" Anakin looked very smug.  
  
"No, Anakin, do not get overconfident. His skill surpasses even yours if I remember correctly." Obi Wan looked at them again. "If we trust in the Force, we will be able to defeat him."  
  
"I trust you Master Kenobi." Bariss said solemnly. "And the Force."  
  
"Me too." Anakin added, humbled by Master Kenobi's remark about his skills.  
  
"Go and meditate. We need to be ready in the event that we need to fight Xanatos." He settled down into a comfortable position.  
  
* * *  
  
Luminara woke up, feeling better than she had in over two weeks. For some reason, Xanatos hadn't visited her for a few days. She knew he was up to something, but she didn't really mind so long as she got the rest that she desperately needed. The night before she had put herself into a healing trance, and she now felt much better.  
  
She stood up, her escape plan having been formulated and perfected over the last three days. She walked to the door and just as she got there it opened, revealing the scarred face of her captor.  
  
"Now, now. You wouldn't be trying to escape, would you? Well I'll just have to teach you a lesson." Dark electricity poured from his fingertips as he said this, but she dodged to the side.  
  
She attempted a flying kick at his mid section, but as she hit him she caught a full blast of lightning in the chest. As he went flying into the wall from the force of her kick, she went tumbling to the ground from the pain of the lightning. Luckily for her though, she was the first to recover. She staggered to her feet only to see that he was unconscious.  
  
She smiled a small smile of victory and left the room, cautious of any guards. But to her surprise, there was none. This is too easy. She thought.  
  
She ran towards the masses of people she sensed through the Force. She couldn't sense any malice in them, or at least most of them. As she broke out into the hallway near the door, she passed an armory. Luminara looked frantically for her lightsaber and found it on the bottom shelf. This is way too easy.  
  
Suddenly, her leg started hurting. She groaned inwardly. Xanatos had broken her leg in two places on one day that he was feeling particularly vicious. It seemed that her healing trance hadn't worked as well as she'd hoped.  
  
Luminara dropped into a low crouch despite the pain it caused when she heard voices approaching.  
  
"I'm tellin' ya, I heard someone come in here." A guy said, not sounding too intelligent.  
  
"Look for ya self, there aint anyone in here." A second man said, sounding none too bright either.  
  
"What's that then? It looks like a foot." The first man argued.  
  
"Hey it is a foot." The second man sounded dumbfounded.  
  
Before they could call reinforcements, Luminara leaped from her hiding place and threw them into the wall with the Force. They lied there motionless, as Luminara fell to one knee from the pain in her foot. She'd overdone it.  
  
The Jedi Master limped to the door, hanging her lightsaber onto her belt. Just as she reached and opened the door, a guard appeared and shot at her with a blaster. This time it wasn't set on stun.  
  
The shot hit her in the shoulder, and she cried out in pain as she fell through the door. She forced herself to get up and start running, painful though it was. She could feel her apprentice's concern form on the other end of their bond. Though she was surprised to note that her apprentice was on the planet, she reassured her that she was all right, although the padawan didn't believe her. She felt her padawan gather herself to come and get her and she warned her not to. Bariss Offee, of course, ignored her. 


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Luminara staggered for the fifth time that minute. She had been running for fifteen minutes, and while that was no problem for a healthy Jedi, she had been tortured without relent and shot in the shoulder. At the rate she was going she wouldn't last another two minutes. And then they would reach her, take her back for more torturing, and probably death now that she had angered Xanatos and injured him.  
  
She panted around the corner, right into the arms of an unsuspecting resident.  
  
"Are you okay? Oh my gods, you've been shot!" The lady said in a surprised tone.  
  
"Yes," Luminara gasped. "I'll be fine. I just have to be going."  
  
"No, you can't travel in the state you're in. You have to rest." She tried to make Luminara enter a building, but the Jedi broke out into a staggered run. The lady just stared after her, wondering at the offworlder's behaviour.  
  
When she reached a corner she turned into it and collapsed against the wall. She couldn't go on, her legs wouldn't hold her, and her shoulder felt like it had been set alight.  
  
Suddenly, she heard some voices, but didn't have the strength to call upon the Force to distract them. 'This is it. They'll find me and take me back.' She despaired for a moment, until she heard the voices.  
  
"I'm sure she's down here, Master Obi Wan. I sensed her pain." The familiar voice of her apprentice floated towards her.  
  
"I trust you, Padawan Offee. Let's just look for her." Obi Wan Kenobi said.  
  
Luminara tried to call her apprentice's name, but it came out as a gurgle. She closed her eyes, hoping that her apprentice had heard her. Bariss said something else, this time in a frantic tone, although she couldn't make sense of it. She couldn't even open her eyes, and she was barely conscious when strong, gentle hands shook her, trying to get her to wake. But she couldn't. She slipped into blissful sleep as Obi Wan Kenobi lifted her in his arms, ready to carry her to the quarters on his ship.  
  
* * *  
  
Luminara woke with a groan, as it seemed she'd been doing since she had been captured. Her head felt like a hover truck had run over it. She felt her shoulder, wrapped up in a gauze and bandages. It felt a little better, though it still hurt. A lot.  
  
She tried to sit up, but felt slim, female hands holding her down. "Don't move Master. You were hurt badly." Bariss Offee pushed her until she gave up and sank into the pillows with a slight whimper.  
  
"You'll be in pain for a few days, Master. The lightning did some damage. Lot's of damage." She admitted.  
  
Luminara closed her eyes again, so as to hide the pain from her apprentice. It didn't work, though. Bariss sensed it through their bond.  
  
"Master, don't be afraid to show your pain. I can feel it anyway. At the moment, we're on our way to Coruscant. I'll do my best to heal you on the way there, but you'll need to be treated by a full healer. The damage is too extensive forme to deal with alone."  
  
"A-apprentice, ho-how long?" She couldn't form the words properly through the pain.  
  
"How long what master? Until we get to Coruscant? About three hours." She made the assumption that that was what her Master wanted to know.  
  
"No. How l-long have I b-been out for?" She asked, gaining strength every minute she was awake.  
  
"About a day. You were in a really bad state when we found you. How'd you get to the alley?" Bariss asked.  
  
"I ran." Luminara's face was gaining colour. That was a good sign. She wasn't a deathly white anymore.  
  
"You ran? How could you run with such injuries? You're tougher than I thought." Obi Wan asked incredulously from the doorway.  
  
"Hello Obi Wan. What is it?" Luminara's voice was still laced with pain, but she was feeling a lot better.  
  
"Yes. Anakin says that we'll be coming out of hyperspace in five minutes."  
  
"Five minutes?" Bariss was shocked. "I thought you said three hours!"  
  
"Yes, I said it would take twenty hours to make it back to Coruscant. Anakin has shaved three hours off that total." Obi Wan looked mildly amused at the young apprentice's expression.  
  
"Whoa." Was all the Apprentice could manage. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Walking down the ramp ahead of Bariss Offee, who was at her master's side, and next to Anaking Skywalker, his padawan, Obi Wan Kenobi bowed to the Jedi Council, who had come to greet them. Some members moved to Luminara's unconscious side as she was transported from ship to med center by hover-stretcher, while others question Obi Wan about what had happened to her. Only Jedi Master Yoda seemed to realize talking in public might be a bad idea, and halted the inquisition, stating that Obi Wan would need to report to the Council as soon as Luminara was settled.

Bowing once again as the Council members departed, he turned to Anakin. "This will be a private meeting, padawan. You should stay with Bariss and Master Luminara, make sure they're alright. I'll just be reporting on what happened, nothing important."

Anakin nodded, he found Council meetings boring unless he was going on a mission. "Yes Master."

"Good. Lets follow, Bariss is getting ahead of us." With that they followed the worried padawan indoors, and headed for the med center.

"What I don't understand, Masters, is how could he go undetected for so long? Surely we should have been able to sense-" Obi Wan was cut off by one of the most respected members of the Council, Master Windu.

"The Dark Side clouds everything. The Sith's actions have made it hard to be certain of anything, these days. We know now that he is present, however. It may complicate things immensely. If he chooses to join the Sith…" He left the thought unfinished.

"I understand master, What should we do? Find him, and confront him? Or wait for him to come to us? He is obviously seeking revenge, from what Luminara told us, he targeted her specifically be she is a Jedi." Obi Wan stated.

"Hmm… seek him out, you must, Obi Wan. When Master Luminara has recovered, leave you shall. Take her you will." Yoda's thoughtful eyes closed. "Of vital importance it is, that deal with him we do. Sooner, rather than later."

Obi Wan nodded tersely. This was not going to be fun. "Yes Master." Bowing, he turned to leave, but was stopped by Master Windu.

"Obi Wan, keep an eye on your apprentice. I feel this mission will test him in many ways." This statement brought nods and murmurs of agreement from the other Masters.

"Yes Master." He repeated and walked through the doors, which closed silently behind him.

Bariss was hovering. She knew it, but she didn't care. The other healers, unfortunately, did. They cared so much they banished her from the medcenter, and told her to go to her quarters and rest. She refused, and went for a walk in the gardens instead. That was where Anakin found her, some hours later, asleep on a bench.

Shaking her gently, he whispered, "Wake up Bariss." When she waved her hand at him and didn't wake up, he said it louder. Much louder. In her ear. "Wake up Bariss!"

With a cry she fell off of the bench, landing on the soft grass and glowered at Anakin. "I was sleeping, you know."

He yawned as said, "Yeah, I could use a bit of a nap myself, but the healers said to come get you. They're ready to wake Luminara."

Scrambling to her feet, she forgave him for waking her. "You coming or what?" She called over her shoulder as she hurried towards the medcenter.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

The med centre was where Obi Wan found Bariss, talking with her now awake Master, Luminara, and Anakin, who was asleep in a chair on the other side of the room. Letting him sleep, he pulled up another chair on Luminara's other side and smiled slightly. "How are you feeling?"

Luminara returned the smile, which he took to be a good sign. "Not too bad, all things considered."

Bariss rolled her eyes, "Master Luminara is putting on a strong face. If you had heard what the healers told me about the severity of her wounds…"

Obi Wan's brows snapped together. His face devoid of the small smile he had earlier, he whispered, "How bad?"

Luminara raised an arm to gently hit Bariss on the shoulder, she fell short and let out a small moan. Looking concerned, Bariss gently laid a hand on her master's arm, using the Force to alleviate her pain a little. "A leg broken in two places, badly healed. Blaster wound in the shoulder, the healers said it was close range and full power. The electricity that he sent through her caused a lot of damage to her muscles and bones. They're allowing her to be awake now because in about half an hour they're putting her into a deep healing trance and sticking her in a bacta tank. Hopefully it will speed up her recovery a lot."

Obi Wan looked at his fellow master in concern and sympathy. "Good. We're going to return to Aridus (A/n, the planet they were just on lol) when you fully recover. The Council wants us to find Xanatos and deal with him. I still don't know how he survived, but if he's back it can't be a good thing." Sighing he looked down at Luminara. Patting her hand, he added, "Don't worry about it now. Just concentrate on getting better. I'll be here when you wake up." He got up to leave just as the temple healers came in, ready to put her into a healing trance. Waking Anakin, he left them to do their work.

A week and a half later, they were ready to leave. Luminara was still a little stiff in the shoulder, and Bariss was the worse for wear, considering she had spent the time Luminara was in the bacta tank worrying and getting very little sleep.

Boarding their ship, Obi Wan quickly took charge. He ordered Bariss and Luminara to get some rest, and threatened to dump them at the nearest possible stop if they didn't. Grudgingly, they obeyed.

Anakin started the preflight checklist, and Obi Wan checked their inventory. When they were finally ready to take off, he checked on the others. They were sleeping peacefully. More peacefully than he had seen them do so since before any of this had started. Master Luminara's sleep in the bacta tank was interrupted by nightmares that she couldn't wake from because of the trance, and Bariss' was just as turbulent. He smiled, returning to the cockpit. Signaling for Anakin to take off, he settled into his chair. If the others could get some rest, so could he. Better he get it now than expect it when they landed.

He suspected this mission would test them all in different ways.

TBC

A/n I'm so sorry about the long wait for an update. I was writing my stories in a note book that I have, and, low and behold, I lost the notebook. Its gone forever, but I spent a while trying to find it. Sorry! Update sooner next time, I promise.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry everyone. We moved house, and since none of us who moved to this new one are big on talking over the phone, and we all have mobile phones, we decided that we wouldn't get a landline phone. So we are waiting on the internet. We moved on the eighteenth of November. So I spent the time updating. Lol, anyway, enjoy the next chappie.

Chapter 9:

Luminara tried not to fidget in her seat as their shuttle set down gently in the landing bay on Aridus, a planet she had wished strongly to never return to. But she had a job as a Jedi Master, even if it meant returning to the place where she was tortured for over two weeks. Xanatos was too dangerous to leave to just one Master-Padawan pair, and she knew him best next to Obi Wan.

Bariss seemed to sense what she was thinking, and laid a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "It'll be okay Master. You're not alone this time." Luminara saw something flash in her apprentice's eyes.

"It wasn't your fault, padawan. The Council thought that only one Jedi would be necessary, and I agreed. I won't be so careless next time."

She unbuckled her crash webbing and stood. There was an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Something was going to happen in this confrontation… and it was creating a ripple in the Force.

Making her way to the hatch she disembarked, with Obi Wan and their padawans following behind.

Sighing, Bariss lay her head down on the lumpy pillow of her bed in her second rate motel room. As they were traveling under cover they weren't afforded a proper room as delegates of the republic.

Their day had been long. Hunting Xanatos, questioning people without actually seeming to question them, while it was Jedi work it didn't make it any easier.

Through half closed eyes she viewed her master. She was laying on her own bed, dead to the world. This trip had drained her mentally and emotionally, and it was only just starting.

Obi Wan walked through the door. "We got some good information from an old lady. It seems that she saw Luminara running out of an old building."

Luminara didn't look up, just waved her right hand 'continue' while her left rest across her eyes.

He looked at her with concern, but masked his voice with a careful air of nonchalance. "So I was think that we could take the rest of the day off and go to a fancy restaurant, maybe hirer a stri-"

She looked up at this. "That's enough Obi Wan. I get it. 'Get up.'"

He looked her over, from the legs that barely managed to support her, to the arms that hung listlessly at her sides. The shoulders that slumped in exhaustion and the eyelids that drooped. Finally, he shook his head. "No. You aren't going. You need your rest. Me and Anakin will take care of things tonight. If we can find him we'll wait until the morning, when you can handle it."

Luminara looked up harshly at this. "You think he won't know if you find him? If you wait he'll just use the time to escape."

Obi Wan met her gaze evenly. "Then we'll just take him on alone. Luminara, you're too tired. You'll be putting yourself _and_ us in danger by coming along. Now get some rest, don't be stubborn. We'll _all_ wait until tomorrow, okay?"

She glared at him, but nodded anyway and settled down to get some sleep.

A good night's sleep saw them all up the next morning, trekking through the urban jungle. They were on their way to the building where Luminara was kept; it was a long shot but it might provide clues to Xanatos' current whereabouts.

Obi Wan pointed to an old building, made from some kind of red clay that seemed native to the planet. "That's where you came from, according to the old lady," He looked at Luminara.

She gulped, fighting back memories, and nodded. She walked boldly up to the front door and went to turn the door knob, when a cold, suave voice sounded from behind them.

"Back for more are we, _Master_? So soon? That's good because I have a bone to pick with you." She turned around with the others to see their quarry standing behind them.

TBC… Dun dun duuuunnnn…. I had to. Sorry. But I wasn't in the writing mood this morning and I kinda didn't want to make my chapters THAT uneven. Expect a long one sometime soon. Read and Review!


	10. Chapter 10

A/n: I should be wrapping it up soon, I'm just playing it by ear. Maybe even this chappie. Who knows?

Chapter 10:

"Back for more are we, _Master_? So soon? That's good because I have a bone to pick with you." She turned around with the others to see their quarry standing behind them.

The offending Dark Jedi ignited the lightsaber he held in his right hand with a _snap-hiss_. His left leg was awkwardly positioned, and all his weight was held on his right. "You did this to me. You in your little escape attempt. Only to come back here."

She fixed him with her coldest stare as she responded. "What's the matter? The Dark Side all powerful except when it comes to healing yourself? Did you forget that this world was having a shortage on bacta?"

He growled and lunged at her, but first he threw a powerful telekinetic attack at the other three members of her party. She drew her lightsaber and prepared for the battle of her life.

He lunged, barely missing her chest as she parried; it grazed her arm instead and she hissed in pain, switching her 'saber to the other hand. _Not a great way to start._ She thought to herself. She didn't have much time to think, however, as he attacked again, this time swiping at her legs as he brought the saber around for a more powerful attack, a sweeping attack that, if it connected, would sever her from shoulder to hip. She met the attacks, blow for blow, parrying as she dodged the powerful swings and lightning fast lunges.

They met in a stand off, his lightsaber bearing down ever so slowly, its progress stopped by the determined Jedi as sweat poured down her forehead and dripped onto the pavement at her feet. _I can't take this for long. I'm still not at top strength. I need help._

Letting out a cry of pain for her straining muscles she forced his blade up and made a quick, sloppy strike of her own, aimed at his stomach.

He saw his opportunity and brought his blade around for a sudden swipe at her legs. She brought her lightsaber around to block as she leapt out of the way.

Xanatos let out an inhuman growl as he lunged at her once again, lightning fast as his eyes turned black. Luminara gasped, loosing focus in the battle for just long enough for the Dark Jedi to bring his lightsaber down in a long arc and graze her left leg. It collapsed under her as she let out a loud grunt of pain.

On her knees she stared into the face of evil as it laughed. "You could have joined me. I gave the choice to become powerful, truly powerful, and you refused. You have brought this upon yourself. Now you shall die." He brought his saber above his head once again, slowly, revering the fear that resonated off of her being.

Readying herself for the deathblow, she closed her eyes, trying to let go of the fear. She had not wasted her life, and she would die as a Jedi.

That, however, was not to be the case, as Anakin, Obi Wan and Bariss leapt into the fray, their healthy bodies much faster than hers. After the psychotic madman had been forced away from her, Bariss left the battle and knelt at her side. "Master, Master can you hear me?" Luminara had passed out from the stress on her still healing body and the pain of the new wounds.

Bariss let the Force work through her as she set about alleviating her pain. After that had been done, she spoke to her unconscious master, "I'm sorry but I must go help Obi Wan and Anakin. We need to deal with Xanatos once and for all."

Bariss stood with a hard look in her eyes. She reignited her lightsaber and strode purposefully toward the battle that was being waged between the two Jedi and the evil ghost of the past.

Quickening her pace, she let out a war cry as she leapt into the conflict; a downward swing was rewarded with the smell of singed flesh. Xanatos dropped his lightsaber in pain and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright. You've got me. Now what are you going to do? It's against the Jedi way to kill me. And you know you can't hold me."

His smug voice filled the streets, and Bariss seethed with fury; not at his words but at the fact she knew them to be true. Obi Wan had stopped attacking and was eyeing his foe with suspicion. Bariss stood her ground, lightsaber still raised but not attacking.

Anakin looked from his master to the evil former padawan of his idol and let his anger take over, sweeping his blade down upon the unsuspecting Dark Jedi, even as Obi Wan screamed for him to stop. The dark energy pent up in his body exploded outwards in a concussive wave that knocked them all off of their feet.

Bariss awoke to see a concerned, bearded Jedi Master standing over her, shaking her by the shoulders. "Uhh… what happened?"

Obi Wan helped her to her feet even as Anakin cradled Luminara in his arms and walked over to them. "When Anakin killed Xanatos all the dark energy that had been stored over the years found an outlet… a rather explosive outlet."

She nodded, wincing at the movement, and raised a hand to the back of her head. Feeling something sticky, she brought her hand around and saw a red substance. Screwing up her face in disgust she wiped her hand on her robes as she looked at her master with concern. Anakin saw the look on her face and was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry, she was far enough away from the explosion that it didn't affect her. She's just in a healing trance."

Bariss let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Obi Wan rubbed his neck as he turned around. "Lets get back to the ship. We need to get Luminara some medical treatment, and yourself Bariss, and make our report to the Council." He turned to Anakin. "You, my young padawan, have a lot to answer to. You killed an unarmed man, deliberately disobeying my orders."

Anakin had the decency to look apologetic. "I'm sorry Master… I'm not sure what came over me. I… I know I'll have a lot to explain. I thought that was our mission here, to make sure he never caused more pain like this again."

Obi Wan sighed even as he started walking in the general vicinity of the ship. "There are _ways_ Anakin. You didn't need to kill him."

Anakin looked properly chastised by now. "I know Master. And I'm sorry. I'll listen to you next time."

Luminara groaned as Anakin turned to follow his master, and Bariss stroked the hair out of her eyes, gently sending out calming waves of the Force.

That decided Obi Wan. "We'll talk about this later. Right now we should focus on the task at hand."

Fin.

Wow… its finally done. Thank god I was getting bored of this story. Lol. I'm kinda gearing away from the Star Wars stories now… more into the InuYasha, Tortall, that kind of thing. I'm thinking of writing a Matthew Reilly one… but the idea could just as easily be used in an original story, so I might do that instead. Oooh, and Justice League. I'm writing a challenge for jlaunlimited… or is it jlauniverse. I don't know. Either way its almost, almost done and will be up soon. So read, review or the evil sprites will find their way into your work places and mess them up. Really, in papers will be in the out papers draws and everything. I swear.

J anyway,

'Chance


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